“First, we’ve got to finish this season,” Colon said. “But there is one thing I’ll look for: Juan Marichal has more innings than me, and for Dominicans, I want to beat him also. I think it’s about 50 innings I have left.”

It’s actually 61 1/3 innings to reach Marichal’s 3,507, and that might be a tall order this season.

The Rangers have 47 games remaining and six starters in their rotation. They have others in the minors who they will want to see start games. They want to get Mike Minor to the finish line.

Mike Minor talks about his performance in Texas' 3-1 victory that saw him give up just 1 run on 4 hits in 7 innings on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles.

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Something, or someone, is going to have to give, and Colon, while a fan favorite and beloved teammate, isn’t part of the long-range development/rebuild plan.

Maybe he doesn’t start as often. Maybe a pitcher finds his way to the disabled list and he gets to log seven or eight more starts.

He will also know that No. 246 came with the Rangers. The innings mark, though, might have to come somewhere else next season.

The speedy center fielder visited a specialist while on the seven-day concussion list, and it was determined that DeShields is dealing with migraine headaches and did not have a concussion last month at Boston.

He started with baseball activities Tuesday and is eligible to come off the DL this weekend at New York. That’s to be determined, but he’s feeling far better.

A question was posed of me earlier Tuesday on a local radio show: Has DeShields’ season shaken the Rangers’ stance on his future?

My answer: The season never really got off the ground. He broke the hamate bone in his left hand in the second game, and his quick return didn’t help. He had to make adjustments to be comfortable swinging the bat, and that really messed him up. Looking at the season through that lens, plus the defensive improvements, 2018 won’t be used against him. Plus, with Leody Taveras and Julio Pablo Martinez in the farm system, DeShields might only have a few more seasons before being challenged for the job in center field.

Whew!

Not mentioned was that DeShields has been exactly what the Rangers wanted most from their center fielder this season. All off-season they said that they were seeking a defensive-minded center fielder.

Hernandez struck out Beltre in his first at-bat, and made him look bad doing it. Hernandez doubled over laughing at Beltre and then pointed and yelled at him to go to the dugout.

In the third, Beltre bounced into an inning-ending double play. Hernandez didn’t talk any smack as the Rangers had already scored four times in the inning.

Beltre got Hernandez to straightaway center for career homer No. 468, which moved him into a tied for 33rd all time with another stud third baseman, Chipper Jones. Beltre should be joining Jones in the Hall of Fame in five or six years.

Beltre appeared to just jog around the bases, opting to not pour salt in Hernandez’s wounds. Maybe the cameras and I missed something, but there was no doubling over at the waist.